“A budget is a moral document.” – U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock
The bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) was designed to use the actual cost of educating a child to create an equitable funding formula. Its goal: ensure that every student in Ohio has access to a quality education. The plan was structured to be phased in over three budget cycles. Now, in the final phase, the Ohio House has excluded it—and the Ohio Senate may do the same.
Research is clear: the single greatest predictor of academic success is a student’s family income. Students from economically advantaged backgrounds are more likely to attend high-performing schools. In contrast, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds face greater challenges and often attend underperforming schools—not because of ability, but because of inequity.
If Ohio is serious about educating all students, then we must prioritize those facing the greatest economic barriers. The FSFP is a thoughtful, data-driven model designed to help overcome those barriers. Doing nothing simply perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
We urge the Ohio Senate: fully fund the FSFP. This plan addresses the needs of the 54.3% of Ohio’s K–12 students who are economically disadvantaged and supports the 88.6% of students attending public schools.Remember, every voucher dollar is taken from public education, and 83% of vouchers go to families earning more than $150,000 per year.
It’s time to align our budget with our values. Fund the Fair School Funding Plan.
- League of Women Voters Greater Dayton
American Fitness Health & Wellness Institute, a nonprofit organization representing Montgomery County on behalf of the Ohio Department of Health Tobacco & Smoking Cessation Program, will be conducting Tobacco Compliance Checks with tobacco retail stores in Montgomery County during the month of May. Why are we conducting Tobacco Compliance checks for the Ohio Department of Health? Nicotine is an addictive substance particularly harmful to youth. Tobacco 21 law limits access to youth. Last year, we survey over 120 retail stores to see if they were marketing their products to youth such as menthol flavored, bubble gum, cartoon characters, or less than 12 inches away from the ice cream freezer, or on the checkout counters; and there were many that we were able to capture photos of these violations. Compliance checks are an effective method to decrease sales to young people. The youth we have selected are very special, some are in foster care, adopted, or in foster care transitional housing and first time job opportunities, and they are motivated and ready to do the job. The compliance checks will be conducted by youth between the ages of 18-20; and they will enter the tobacco retail stores and try to purchase cigarettes. If the retailer sells the tobacco or nicotine products to youth under 21, they will be in violation of the Ohio Tobacco 21 Law. We are also alerting all Montgomery County law enforcement to be aware of the compliance checks sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health, conducted in Montgomery County by American Fitness Health & Wellness Institute. The tobacco retailers will get a letter at the end of the compliance checks sharing if they passed the compliance checks or if they are in violation. In Montgomery County let’s do what we can to keep youth tobacco, nicotine and vape free. If someone is trying to quit nicotine and tobacco, they can contact 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Feel free to reach out by phone: 937-275-3770 or email: abundantseason@yahoo.com. Thank you for all that you do for the Miami Valley.
- Dr. Jeanette Robinson, Moraine
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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